


Roses and violets

by littlelooneyluna



Category: robron
Genre: Difficult discussions, M/M, daddy!Robron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-02-15
Packaged: 2019-10-29 01:20:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17798399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: Annie nods her head and then frowns. “I don’t have a mummy.”





	Roses and violets

**Author's Note:**

> Per a tumblr prompt request. Happy reading!

They’ve always known that Annie was their sensitive little girl but that’s different to actually seeing her upset. She’s been quiet since she came home from school and Aaron’s tried not to worry about it.

Robert comes through the door at six though and Aaron can’t hide it anymore.

“Where’s the kids?”

Aaron turns and sighs. “Jacob’s playing in his room and Annie’s in hers. Think she’s upset.”

“Why?” Robert tries to make out like Aaron’s the beefy sort of throwing his weight around dad but it’s almost always him standing right behind Aaron and egging him on. “Is that the stupid teacher again? She said she needs to practice her writing. She’s four.”

Aaron shakes his head and shrugs. “I don’t know. She won’t talk.” He has his head down and Robert comes closer towards him and raises it. 

“Well then let’s try again. Yeah?”

Aaron follows Robert up the stairs and then freezes as he sees their little girl underneath her little fairy tent. It usually makes them smile, seeing her playing and whispering as her dolls go on some massive adventure. But the fairy lights seem to dim a little and it makes Aaron’s heart stop.

“Annie?” Robert comes closer, he kneels down and peels the opening of the tent back to look at her laying there. She looks like she’s been crying and Aaron instantly wants someone fucking murdered for it.

“Baby, what’s wrong. You have to —“ Aaron’s panicking and Annie starts crying again and he can’t help but think he’s made it worse. Robert turns and squeezes Aaron’s knee, a gentle reassurance not to get too upset around her that Aaron takes.

“Did something happen at school?” Robert says quietly, she’s still so young and he can’t even imagine the idea of her getting bullied about something yet. They’ve already been through it with Seb, it managed to skip past Jacob but Annie’s just as sensitive as Seb isn’t she?

Annie nods her head and then frowns. “I don’t have a mummy.”

And Robert’s eyes widen. He doesn’t even know what he’s supposed to say and he can practically feel Aaron freeze behind him but he still turns, he still tries to look for some sort of reassurance. He still wills some sort of reaction and then he gets one. 

Aaron rubs at his face, rubs at his tears as harsh as he can and then clears his throat. He hates how instantly emotional he’s getting but he can’t stop it. 

He leans closer and holds at Annie’s blonde locks. She’s still wearing the bow Robert fitted into her hair this morning. “Love who’s said that?” 

Annie frowns. “Beth and Marnie said I don’t have one. I just have two dads and that’s funny.”

“It’s not funny.” Robert says eventually. He gulps hard and frowns at their little girl. “Is it eh? It’s just normal. Me, you, Jacob, Seb, Liv and Daddy.”

Annie nods her little head slowly. “But I don’t have a mummy like them.”

Aaron looks at Robert in despair. Jacob hasn’t even really asked questions like this yet either. He’s too young. They’re both too young and kids are well too mean aren’t they? 

“You have us.” Aaron sniffs, he holds at her little hand and squeezes. “We _love_ you.”

Annie holds his hand and then Robert tells her to come closer towards him. She shuffles into his chest and he squeezes the life out of he before kissing her head. “Don’t be sad love.” He whispers.

“I don’t get to do things.” And they should be glad that Annie’s not like them, she isn’t bottling everything up. She wants answers. She wants them to know.

Aaron stokes her back as she looks up at him. “Like what love?”

“Marnie had a princess party.”

Aaron closes his eyes. He remembers them all going to the zoo for hers, she was happy and now these stupid brats have made her —

He tries to hide his anger and Robert sighs.

“You want a princess party then?”

“No.” Annie pouts. “But I ... I ...”

She’s four, she doesn’t know what she wants and they shouldn’t be taking this personally but it’s hard not to, isn’t it?

“I want to watching Disney princess films with my friends.”

“Because we don’t here?” Aaron’s eyes widen a little and he feels awful, he suddenly reflects on their set up. They don’t do girly things, they don’t do boy-ish things either though. Maybe Seb and Jacob just overrule things though.

The thought sticks in his throat and Robert frowns as Annie nods again.

“Well Vic and nana Chas —“

“They’re not my mummy.”

Aaron looks away sharply, he feels something almost collapse in his chest and he doesn’t even know how he’s supposed to tell her that she doesn’t have one. Not in the way everyone else does.

Robert kisses her head and picks up, puts her in bed and strokes her cheek gently. “We can speak about this in the morning okay?” He says, his voice wavers slightly and Aaron realises he needs to interject.

“We can have a proper chat about it tomorrow yeah?”

Annie nods and then wraps her hands around Aaron’s neck. “Are you sad?”

“Sad? No. No I’m not baby. We’re fine aren’t we?” Aaron says, he pushes Robert’s shoulder slightly until his husband nods his head.

 

—

 

They don’t sleep. Robert has his laptop up and he’s tapping away whilst Aaron plays with his hands and tries to think.

“What are you doing?” Aaron asks and Robert only looks up for a second.

“I’m on this website. There’s people who have been through the same thing. Maybe they can help us know what to say.

Aaron holds at his pillow and huffs. “Maybe there isn’t anything to say.” Robert looks at him with wide eyes. “She’s right, she doesn’t have a mum. Not in the way that matters.”

“We matter though.” Robert says. He doesn’t know what he’s supposed to but his mind goes to a place and Aaron almost instantly knows. He holds at Robert’s hand. 

“Don’t.”

“Everyone needs a mum. Remember? That’s what the woman said.” When Annie was nothing more than a tiny baby, a few weeks old, and some nosey old woman just had to say her opinion.

“We’re enough.” Aaron whispers. “We always have been.”

“But maybe she was right. Maybe Annie’s going to resent us.”

“What?” Aaron has tears in his eyes and he whispers. “Of course she wouldn’t.”

Robert gulps hard and closes the laptop. “I’m sorry.”

“Come here.” Aaron brings Robert towards his chest and sighs. “We’ll think of something okay?”

 

—

 

“She said it was Beth and — M—“

“Marnie.”

They’re sorting this out by talking to her teacher before talking to her after school.

Ms Appleton frowns slightly and pulls on her stupid yellow cardigan. “Right. Well, I can have a word with them. I think maybe it might have something to do with us discussing ... families.”

“She’s four?” Aaron scowls.

“Yeah ... she doesn’t need to be confused.”

“It wasn’t our intention. We were just asking what their mum’s and dad’s do.” 

It hurts. The way it doesn’t even get to be a big deal. It’s normal. She’s probably one of the only kids in the class that doesn’t have a mum. She’s certainly the only one to have two dads.

Robert gulps. “Well ... well you should try and be more inclusive.”

Aaron nods steadily, agrees with him. “Yeah it’s not the _fifties_ anymore.”

Ms Appleton looks startled and then nods her head. “Of course. We’re aware of ... your family situation.”

Robert frowns. “It’s normal. We’re _normal_. It’s _fine_. It was before people started asking questions and confusing her.” He leans over the stupid small chair and then sighs as Ms Appleton advises them to speak to her. She says she’ll address the class. 

“Right, yeah thanks we will.”

 

—

 

They both pick her up from her dance club and take her out to get some ice cream whilst Seb walks to Vic’s with Jacob.

“Me and daddy want you to know that we love you.” Aaron says. “So so much.”

“More than a mummy would?” The ice cream float she’s eating is nearly as tall as she is and Robert moves it out of the way as he looks at her.

Her eyes are bright green, gently flickering and this is so fucking hard.

“You know how uh ... how Samson doesn’t have a mummy.” Robert says and Annie just blinks. “But he has a daddy doesn’t he? He has Lydia too.”

“But she isn’t his mummy.” Annie says.

“But she is. He wasn’t in her tummy but —“

“But Seb was in ‘uhbecca’s tummy.”

Aaron looks up towards the ceiling and yeah they’ve underestimated how flipping smart she is. She’s always been quieter, always observing things whilst Jacob would rather throw himself off things. 

“Annie, I’m still Seb’s daddy thought aren’t I?”

And she gets that, she understands that doesn’t she? Thank God.

Aaron closes his eyes. “Your mummy had you in your tummy but she had you for us.” He says. “Not because she didn’t want you, she helped us.”

“Like a fairy godmother?” Annie tilts her head. She’s seen Hollie before, she came to her birthday one year and gave her a card. Robert watches her begin to understand and he squeezes her hand.

“Just like that yeah. So we could have you and be your daddies.”

Annie almost grins and she gets swept up in the softness of it so easily. Robert can’t breathe against how much he loves her. He just smiles faintly back at her and then Aaron sniffs and nods his head.

“But just ‘cause she’s your fairy godmother, doesn’t mean that we can’t do princess parties too.” He says, he wriggles an eyebrow and turns towards Robert. “Daddy would look _so_ good in a tiara wouldn’t be princess?”

And yeah, her birthday was a few months ago but they do this princess party and Annie runs around the place in a tutu and Aaron has glitter all over his face.

Robert wears the stupid tiara, he bakes fairy cakes and Vic calls him precious.

“Well I know she doesn’t need all this girly stuff because it’s made up bullshit anyway but she’s in a house full of boys isn’t she?” He says, picking at one of the fairy cakes and watching Annie dance with Chas. “I don’t want her missing out.” He ways, he still sounds worried when Aaron comes towards him and kisses his head.

“Her teacher spoke to the class. Maybe that’ll stop her questioning everything.” Aaron says, swipes a fairy cake and then sees that Paddy is looking at him oddly. “What’s the face?”

“You two. All responsible and everything.”

“We’ve got three kids Paddy.” Robert frowns. “Sort of have to be.” He laughs and then he sees that Paddy’s being serious. “Well cheers.”

“Yeah grandad.” Aaron punches Paddy’s arm and then calls for Annie. “You want to glitter paint grandad’s face yeah?” Paddy turns bright red and gets dragged away.

They watch as Annie waves at them and then smiles. Aaron brings his head down on Robert’s shoulder and sighs.

“We’ll be okay won’t we?”

“Yep.” Robert strokes Aaron’s hair. “And she’ll be even more happy when she realises she’s getting another little sister from a fairy godmother.” 

Aaron’s stomach flips as Robert whispers and then laughs. “We can tell them tonight.” He tilts his head up. “Even out that ratio.” He smiles a little and then kisses Robert softly.

Little Ella Grace is going to do just that.

(And more)

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought if you have the time!


End file.
